About Us
The Coalition for Public Access (CPA) is a group of citizens who are adamantly opposed to any new Wilderness Areas in Esmeralda, Douglas, Lyon, and Mineral Counties, Nevada. For more information visit the About Us page.
UPDATE: FS To Restrict Motorized Travel In Bridgeport Ranger District
BACKGROUND: The USFS – Bridgeport Ranger District (BRD) is required to prepare a Travel Management Plan (define a set of "authorized" routes for travel by motorized vehicles within the BRD). The Nevada portion of the BRD has been open for "cross-country" travel (not being required to stay on roads or trails) and this will no longer be allowed.
Forest Service published documents and CPA responses are found by following the menu Local Agency Actions » USFS » Bridgeport Ranger District link
CURRENT STATUS: On March 17, 2010, Acting District Ranger Grace Newell published the Record of Decision (ROD) and the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). Responders to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) are permitted to file appeals within 45 days of publishing the ROD. CPA will be filing appeals.
Douglas County Working On A Lands Bill
Douglas County is currently working on a federal Lands bill which, if submitted to and passed by the U.S. Congress, will create a wilderness area in the Pine Nut Mountains (located on the eastern side and facing Smith Valley). The area being proposed is approximately 12,330 acres of the Burbank Canyon Wilderness Study Area (BC-WSA) - an additional 1,065 acres located in Lyon County is not included in the proposal. The BC-WSA was studied by the BLM and recommended as NON-WILDERNESS. CPA has objected to the proposed wilderness and will continue to fight to achieve our objectives.
- The establishment of wilderness boundaries along major motorized routes will undoubtedly lead to a future determination, by federal lands managers, that a “non-motorized buffer” is needed to protect the visual, aural and other important elements of a “wilderness experience”. This will result in closure of the only motorized access routes into the Pine Nut Mountains from southern Douglas and Lyon counties.
- The establishment of a wilderness boundary along the eastern edge of the WSA at the Douglas county line may impede normal and safe private aircraft traffic at the Farias Wheel airport. This airport is located very close proximity to the proposed eastern wilderness boundary and is surrounded by a relatively dense area of private residences. Safe take-off and landings are likely to be impeded by wilderness area over-flight regulations and would pose a serious risk to both aircraft and local residents.
- The establishment of a wilderness boundary along the eastern edge of the WSA at the Douglas county line may pose a wildfire threat to the local residents. Currently the BLM, the Smith Valley Fire Protection District and local residents cooperate in creating and maintaining “wildfire defensible zones” on the lands that are within or immediately adjacent to the proposed wilderness area. The ability to create or maintain these zones could be negatively affected or even prohibited by creating the proposed wilderness.
- The creation of the proposed wilderness is most likely to have a serious and negative impact on mining interests that are within the WSA.
- The creation of the proposed wilderness areas is problematic to our mission, especially when the area is not of wilderness quality. Experience indicates that the designation of a wilderness area nearly always leads to increased threats against motorized access and multiple-uses of the surrounding public lands.